Water: Melon & Drops Still Life Painting Challenge Level II Page 15
Preparation Surface: 8 x 10 Masonite or Canvas - Available from Kingslan & Gibilisco at www.kingslan.com Water: Melon & Drops Still Life With a fine pored roller brush, prepare the masonite board with 3 coats of a light acrylic. Sand the paint between coats 2 and 3. Do not sand the final coat of paint so as to retain the eggshell type finish. It is not necessary to give the canvas a coat of acrylic if it is prepared with gesso. Trace Trace the design in pencil. Transfer Tear or cut a small hole in the tracing paper. Place a piece of tape over this hole, sticky side down. Slip graphite behind the tracing paper. Transfer the design. A Few Gentle Reminders: Apply thin coats of paint two applications rather than one thick coat. Don t rush. Build the foundation of the painting well and the final development will be easier and more effective. A color is neither right nor wrong in itself. It is how it is used that determines if it is correct. Always test your value within the context of your painting. Palette right does not mean picture perfect. Only judge in relationship to the painting. Color is a partnership with its surroundings. Develop objects in the following order: Form is the first consideration based on right hand light source. Decorations, characteristics, markings Harmony adjustments - glazes, accents, tints Dimensional adjustments - Values, hues, and intensities Texture. Shines and Shadows are last. Allow the painting to cure in the mind and eye for a few weeks before applying the final varnish. Until the fat varnish is applied, adjustments may be made. Painting Challenge Level II Page 16
Painting Overview This painting is a below eye level still life with an upper left right light source. The light is coming from slightly in front. Each object will have the light in the upper onefourth due to the upper right light source. All dark sections will be left of center. There are three stages of development. The painting must be dry after each stage is completed. The first stage is the creation of form. Each object is created disregarding other influences such as details, texture, cast shadows or final shines. The second stage is the addition of the details. In the final stage, all additional layers are transparent. Added in the final stage is reflected colour, shines, reflected light and cast shadows. Melon Mix the following: Medium: R + QC Light: R High Light: Light + TW Dark: Medium + QC Low Dark: Dark + QC + UB High Light Light Medium Handle Mix the following: Medium: BU + RS Light: Medium + TW + RS Dark: Medium + BU Light Medium Dark Dark Low Dark Rind Medium: Light: Dark: Y + UB + TW Medium + TW Medium + Black Light Medium Dark Knife Blade Mix the following: Medium: TW + Blk Light: Medium + TW Dark: Medium + Blk Light Medium Dark Seeds BU + Blk Highlight with WW Painting Challenge Level II Page 17
Stage Two (painting must be dry) Reflections Add the reflection of the seeds, knife and melon into the table. Use the medium value of each object to create transparent reflection. When dry, glaze the foreground with thinned Y. The background may be repainted darker or left basecoat color. Primary Shine Explanation A primary shine is the reflection of the light source. It is where the light is striking the object directly. This shine will be in the center of the previously created light section. Shines begin with a transparent, dull haze behind the final shine. This shows that that light spreads out once it strikes an object. The harder the surface of the object, the less the light will spread. The shine is sharper on harder objects. Reinforce the lights on the objects with TW + Y. Inside of this light place WW if a light look is desired. Caution: This new light must be contained within the original light that was developed in stage one. If it goes onto the medium value, it could appear milky or chalky. Shadows Shadows occur only if these three things are present: light, an interruption of the light and a receiver of the shadow. If one of these elements is missing, a shadow cannot occur. Shadows have the following characteristics: The are transparent. They fall opposite of the light source. The shadow is the shape of the object causing the shadow. They follow the form of the object receiving the shadow Shadows are cooler than the receiver. Some shadows can cast colour (as in translucent glass or liquid). Use the above guidelnes for the shadows on the table that occur from the objects. First place UB + BU (this makes a transparent black). Then come in with opaque black (the black straight out of the jar) and strengthen where inicated on the second application of the shadow. Reference the photo and video for full placement and explanation. Varnish Varnish the dried piece with Final Coat brand varnish. This varnish can be applied with either a brush or a stain applicator pad. The first coat may separate or bead up. The subsequent coats of varnish will fill in this separation. Painting Challenge Level II Page 18
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